The Kraken
by Itdoesringabell
Summary: Set after episode 4x16. Blair gets strangely angry and Dan has to be the one dealing with it.


**_So here's a new Dair OS. It takes place after episode 4x16 and twists the storyline. I couldn't see it fit anywhere else.  
_**

**_There wasn't supposed to be any smut in it, but it seems that my fingers have a mind of their own._**

**_For those who read So Damn Dan, I don't know if you'll be happy to hear that, but I actually started thinking of a sequel. Should be fun to write!_**

**_Again, I wanna apologize for any mistakes, english is not my first language!_**

**_Hope you'll enjoy this one._**

* * *

Dan had lost count of how many times he had fought with her. It was their thing. It was what they did. But this time was different. It wasn't their usual banter about movies, or books or modern arts. This fight was much more profound. He had said something that had stirred inside of her pent up anger and rage. He couldn't even remember which one of his sayings had released Blair Waldorf's inner Kraken. But now it was out, and Dan was eager to fight it back inside.

She started throwing things at him. Glasses, a bottle of wine, Mark Twain novels previously displayed on the shelves of his office. At first, he was surprised. He never knew Blair to be violent physically. Verbally, sure. She had told him things that could have made him cry, hadn't he been bullied during his school years. Now he was impervious to insults, especially hers because he knew that she actually appreciated him. Her dissing his outfits, his music taste, and his apartment was her way to tell him "I like being your friend, Humphrey"

She had actually pronounced the words, once. It had started one night in Manhattan, in an art gallery where there had been too much Nicolas Feuillate, too much laughing at real housewives who pretended knowing about art when they just wanted to show off their husbands' money; too much emotion in front of Guayasamin singular way of work.

Dan had never seen her drunk before. At the few parties they had both attended in high school, Blair had always managed to keep a straight appearance by moderating her consuming of alcohol. But that night, her usual passionate behavior melted with the five glasses of champagne and she seemed light, content, and genuinely happy.

As they were both staggering on the way back to her penthouse, Blair started singing. It was also the first time he had ever heard her sing. She had this particular voice, it wasn't really good, but it wasn't bad either. There was nothing extraordinary about it, musically speaking. Everything about her voice was in the emotion she managed to channel through Dan's body, through his mind. Listening to her, he had felt the sensation he was used to feel when writing the very last sentence of a short story. The feeling of being complete, the feeling of seeing the entire world so bright and wide open in front of him.

'You have a pretty voice' he told her.

She stopped singing, and her lips pulled into a light, adorable, drunken smile.

'Thanks Humphrey. You're actually a really sweet man' she told him.

'Wow careful Waldorf, someone could hear you.'

She laughed and then they were back to being silent.

He insisted on riding the elevator with her. He wanted to be sure that she was home safe. When the doors opened she stepped inside and turned around to face him.

'Thank you, Humphrey' she said 'I had fun. It's nice being friends with you'

Dan only smiled and waved as the elevator doors closed between them. The day after, they were back to arguing, criticizing each other's habits, tastes. They were back to the usual Dan and Blair.

But that night was different. As Dan was hiding in his room, he could still hear her yell incomprehensible things and throw away more items from his desk. He really didn't understand what made this fight different. He only knew that if he wanted to live, he had best let her cool down.

Ten minutes later, she stopped yelling. Dan put his ear against the door. Nothing. Maybe she had left, he thought. He hadn't heard the front door slamming. He listened more attentively and his heart broke at what he was finally able to hear. Sobs. He had made Blair cry.

He immediately opened the door and walked towards her. She was sitting on his couch; she had put her shoes and her coat back on, as if ready to leave. But she was still sitting there, her face facing the floor, tears crashing on her skirt.

'Blair…'

'You suck, Humphrey'

He didn't protest. Because watching her cry over something he had told her, even though he didn't know what, he actually felt like the biggest asshole in the universe.

'Why do you have your coat on?' he couldn't help asking.

'Because I was going to leave!' she answered aggressively and he almost took a step back.

'Why didn't you?'

She let out a frustrated groan and reached to hit him on the leg with her purse.

'Because usually, when I'm this upset, you're the one I go to. But now that you're the one who has upset me, I don't have anyone to turn to. You suck because not only you said something hurtful, but you also managed to become the only one I can really trust right now, and you're Dan Humphrey. I don't have the habit of trusting you.'

She sniffed and Dan sat next to her.

'Blair, I honestly don't know what I said to put you in such a state. I want to apologize but I don't even know what for. You gotta help me out here.'

'I don't want to talk about it, let's just agree on the fact that you suck.'

'God Blair, anything that would make you stop crying.'

Blair looked up to him, and he almost turned his glance away from hers. He couldn't see her eyes so puffy and red and sad. It actually hurt him.

'Does it bother you?' she asked. 'That I'm crying because of you?'

'Kind of…' he mumbled.

'Good' she said firmly. But her eyes had softened a bit.

She relieved herself from her coat and shoes and settled more comfortably on the couch.

'Now go make me a cup of tea, order a pizza, no onions and while we wait, I'll tell you everything I hate about this jerk who made me cry tonight.'

Dan could smile again. She was back. And from the look of her pouty mouth, she was more than ready to insult him all night. And she did. But Dan took all of it, because in his mind, no amount insults could repay the pain he seemed to have caused her that night.

They watched a movie sitting on the couch and when Blair got sleepy, she rested her head on his shoulder. Dan turned his head to look at her face. Her eyes were closed; she was actually falling asleep next to him, and so peacefully, as if she had done this a thousand times before.

He tried to focus on the movie still playing; but even though his eyes were back on the screen, his brain was still registering how nice it felt to have her next to him.

'I'm sorry, Blair' Dan whispered, his eyes fixed on his computer.

'I know, Dan' she whispered back.

It was the first time she had ever called him by his first name.

/

It happened again, three days later. Dan had come over around 8:00 am that day. He knew there was something wrong because she was still wearing her pajamas when he arrived, even though she was aware of his coming. She offered him breakfast but did not talk much during and when she was done, she told him in a very quiet voice that she was going to take a shower. Dan wasn't sure if he should wait for her or not, but decided to do so anyway. He took out a book but couldn't really concentrate.

She came back downstairs thirty minutes later, all dressed and books in her hand.

'I have a class at ten' she told him, looking at him with a neutral face.

He stood up.

'Do you want me to accompany you there?'

She nodded and started walking toward the elevator. A town car was parked in front of her building, he opened the door for her and she got into it mumbling a "thank you".

As the car engaged on the road, Dan turned to her.

'Blair. What's going on?'

She did not answer him but contemplated out the window.

'Blair' he insisted.

'There's nothing going on, Humphrey' she said still not looking at him.

'Why are you all gloomy then?'

'Because I feel like it. You don't have the monopole of melancholia.'

'Right.'

Dan couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. So she wanted it to be this way. Fine. He settled back on his seat. He knew exactly why Blair behaved this way, but she would never admit it to him. She was way too proud. He decided to just get it out of her.

'Is this about the Gossip Girl blast of Chuck and Raina getting back together?'

Blair turned her head toward him so fast Dan was surprised she didn't crack her neck.

'Is that it?' she asked, looking at him angrily. 'Whenever I'm sad, it's going to be about Chuck Bass, right? Like he is the center of my whole life?'

Dan opened his mouth to answer but she continued.

'Oh, poor Blair' she sarcastically gasped, putting a hand on her chest, feigning sympathy for herself. 'Chuck has moved on, but it just seems that she can't. How will she ever recover from losing him to some Midwest nouvelle-riche? If it's what you think, Humphrey, you've got a lot of nerve showing to my door for breakfast.'

'You're the one who texted me to come over!' Dan snapped, offended. He hated when she made him look like a freeloader. 'I didn't ask you for anything, I only came because you asked me too.'

Blair pursed her lips and press on a button on the door panel. The glass separating them from the chauffeur went down and Blair said:

'Wyatt, stop the car.'

'You cannot be serious, Waldorf' Dan said in disbelief as the car pulled over.

Blair did not wait for Wyatt to come open the door for her and immediately stepped out of the car.

'I don't need your pity, Humphrey.'

She started walking away and Dan stepped out of the car too.

'Hey, I'm worried about you!' he shouted to her back.

She only turned around to shout back

'Leave me alone, Humphrey!'

Dan stood there, watching her walking to God knows where. What had he said, _again_?

'Do you need me to take you somewhere Mr. Humphrey?'

Dan was suddenly dragged from his thoughts.

'What? Oh, no it's fine, Wyatt. I'll walk.'

He spent the rest of the day writing. He transfused all his frustrations to his computer screen, into his characters. He wrote fights between friends, fights between lovers. He wrote about some dying and some hurting themselves. He needed to evacuate all of his darkest thoughts, because if he didn't, he would call Blair and tell her to get lost once and for all, to never contact him again. He didn't even notice when the night came. It was like being in a trance fueled by anger and perhaps a bit of hatred.

His heart jumped when he heard a knock. He took in the fact that the moon was already up in the sky. He already knew who it was. He always recognized her knock.

Dan stood up and walked toward the doors, switching on the light on the way. He still felt angry and he wanted to show her how much. He wanted to tell her all those things he thought of her when they were in high school and that were crawling back into his memory. But all this anger melted down when he opened the door and saw her. It was obvious she had been crying.

She looked at him with sincerely apologetic eyes, took a deep breath and said:

'I'm sorry.'

Dan only nodded and moved aside to let her in. She went to sit on the couch while Dan went to the kitchen and took out two mugs.

'Tea or Coffee?' he asked.

'Tea, please' she said with a low voice.

Dan put the kettle on the stove and watched her. She was sitting, her legs pressed tight against each other, her right thumb scratching her left index. She seemed so nervous it made him uncomfortable.

Neither of them talked until Dan came to her, holding out one of the two mugs.

'Are you gonna tell me what's been going on with you lately?' he said as he sat next to her.

Blair simply shook her head and Dan let out a frustrated sigh.

'Blair. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong.'

She put her hand on his and his eyes locked with hers. They were full of water.

'Please' she breathed out.

She was actually begging him to let it go. Whatever it was, it was hurting her so much, her, Blair Waldorf, that she couldn't bear the idea of talking about it. When Dan realized that, it only made him want to know more. He wanted to fix whatever was wrong. He wanted to see her smile again.

Blair put her mug down on the coffee table and went to bury her face in his chest. Dan put down his mug on the floor and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tightly against him because he wanted this embrace to be the first step to healing her.

They remained this way for about twenty minutes. Dan's sweatshirt was now wet with her tears on the chest. One of his arms started to feel numb. He looked at the clock on the kitchen wall.

'Blair' he said –his voice was hoarse- 'it's starting to get late.'

Blair instantly pulled away from him. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks red.

'I'm sorry' she said 'I didn't mean to…'

'No' Dan interrupted her 'I'm saying this for you. You can stay more…if you want.'

Blair nodded.

'Right' she said. She stood up from the couch and Dan realized he was not ready to see her go just yet. Comforting her felt so good.

'We can watch a movie' he blurted out.

Blair shot him a confused glance then shook her head.

'I'm not really in the mood for a movie'

_Don't go. Not yet_, Dan thought.

He stood up between her and the door.

'We can read' he said.

'Read?' Blair asked surprised by the proposition. Dan couldn't blame her.

'Yeah…'

Blair stared at him for a moment.

'What book are you suggesting?'

Dan couldn't believe she was agreeing to this.

'Wait here' he said.

He tried not to run to the bookshelves in his office. He had no idea which one would please her. He only knew her taste in movies. He picked one randomly, hoping for the best and went back to the living room.

Blair was sitting on the couch again, much more relaxed than earlier. He handed her the book and she smiled when she took it in her hands.

'You always seem to associate me with anything French' she told him.

'Well you do speak the language' he said.

'So does Serena'

'Well it's not the same.'

He sat down next to her while she flipped the book open.

'What do you associate Serena with?' Blair asked her eyes on the first page of the book.

Dan took a moment to think about the answer.

'Heartbreaks, I guess.'

Blair looked up at him. They looked at each other for a brief moment then she cleared her throat.

'I'll handle the reading. You wouldn't know how to correctly give life to Claude.'

Dan chuckled.

'Did you just call Frollo by his first name? Who does that?'

'I do! He's my favorite. I feel for him.'

'You do know he is the bad guy right?'

'That is public opinion. Come on Humphrey, I thought you were better than that. Once we'll finish it together, you'll see how wrong you were.'

Dan smiled and moved closer to her. She did not move away. They both leaned back on the couch as Blair started:

'_Three hundred and forty-eight years, six months, and nineteen days ago today, the Parisians awoke to the sound of all the bells in the triple circuit of the city, the university, and the town ringing a full peal…'_

She let him take over the reading eventually and he was halfway through the chapter dedicated to Quasimodo when he heard her snore slightly. He closed the book and looked down at her. Her cheek was resting against the back of the couch, making her mouth part slightly.

Dan wondered if it was wrong to find her beautiful. If he was even allowed to.

He lifted her up from the couch in his arms. It partly awoke her; she put her arms around his neck so it would be easier for him to carry her. He took her to his room and put her down on his bed. As she settled to fall back asleep, he took off her heels. Then, restraining from staying there and watch her sleep, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

He did not want to think about what he was feeling right now. He just wanted to sleep it off. Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal, he thought. He shook off his shoes from his feet and laid on the couch, pulling a blanket over him. He tried so hard to fall asleep, so hard to not think about her sleeping in his bed.

'Dan?'

Her soft voice cut the darkness of the room. He looked in the direction of his room. Blair was standing at his door her hair untied; she had removed her black thighs. Dan took a deep breath, trying to ignore what the sight of her bare legs stirred into him.

'Come' she told him in the same soft voice.

As if she knew he would follow her, she immediately went back into his room. When Dan entered she was back under the covers, laying on the right side of the bed, leaving room for him.

Before lying down next to her, Dan noticed that her bra was lying on the floor with her thighs. He had a hard time swallowing the lump in his throat. He slid under the covers and Blair pulled his arm, wrapping it around her.

His body was now cupping hers, but he tried to keep a small space between his front and her back.

'Don't breathe so loudly' she mumbled in a sleepy, annoyed voice.

Before falling asleep, Dan decided to try to figure out how he actually felt about this situation. He never could.

/

The third time it happened was the most unexpected one.

Dan knew it was wrong. It felt wrong. He couldn't even understand why he was still kissing her. When she parted her lips under his and invaded his mouth with her tongue, he remembered. He was horny.

Why was it wrong again? She was single now. He was single. They were both adults. Or at least trying to be. There was actually nothing wrong with it, was there?

Except for the part where her best friend had been sneaking out of their apartment to go all the way to Brooklyn and sleep with him –in the literal sense of the word –every night for the last week.

Blair had come unannounced the second night. She was wearing her pajamas under her coat and carrying with her a box of mille-feuilles and her own copy of _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_. They had spent hours on the floor of his living-room, reading, eating, laughing, enjoying each other's company. Then came a moment when Blair yawned and without a word, took his hand in hers and led him toward his room. She was never there when he woke up in the morning.

Serena pushed him back against the kitchen wall never releasing his lips and Dan pressed his hands on her hips, urging her closer to him.

'What the hell?'

It was as if the sound of Blair's voice had struck an electrical shock between them. They hastily parted and turned to her. Blair's eyes were stuck on Dan, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. It was probably one of the most awkward situations he had been into. Blair's glare finally settled on Serena.

'I thought you couldn't meet me for shopping because you had an appointment.'

Serena simply shrugged:

'Got canceled.'

She put a hand on Dan's shoulder:

'You wanna hang out in my room' she said in a low voice that didn't prevent Blair from hearing everything.

Dan looked from Blair to Serena.

'You know what, I actually have, err, things to do…so…I'm gonna head home.'

'Oh' Serena seemed disappointed 'Well okay. Call me tonight?'

'Sure' Dan answered a bit too rapidly before walking past Blair to the elevator. It was only when the engine started descending that he allowed himself to breathe normally again.

Fuck. What had he done? Did he really want to start over with Serena? Dan knew that they kept going back to each other because they didn't know better. But it didn't mean that it didn't feel good being with her. However, this time, all Dan could think about was how this little encounter would affect his friendship –or whatever it was –with Blair.

The first thing he did when he got to the loft was getting into the shower. Letting water run down his body always helped him relax.

When Dan got out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door.

'What the hell is wrong with you Humphrey?'

Dan almost slipped on the tiles. Blair was standing in front of him, hands on her hips, looking him dead in the eyes. She was not happy.

'Blair, how did you get in?'

'I'd rather you answer my question first. Why were you with her? Are you guys back together? How long has it been? Answer me Humphrey!'

'I'm trying to, but you won't stop talking!' he told her in an aggressive tone he instantly regretted.

'Fine. I'll shut up. Talk.'

She crossed her arms on her chest, waiting for him to answer. Except he was not ready for that, he hadn't thought everything through.

'Can I go get dressed first?' he asked. There, this should buy him time.

Blair's eyes examined his current outfit then she said:

'Granted. But just know that I'll be there when you get out of this room and you better not make me wait.'

She wasn't lying. When Dan got out dressed into NYU sweatpants and a shirt she was still standing straight in front of his room, her arms still crossed.

'So?' she asked.

'Blair, when I went to your place this afternoon, I was looking for you' Dan started.

'Didn't look like it'

'Just…let me talk okay?'

Blair turned around and went to sit on the couch.

'So as I said, I was looking for you. And when I arrived Serena was in the kitchen and…I mean it's Serena.'

'Oh? Is that your excuse?' Blair snorted 'You run into her in my kitchen and start making out with her because she is the beautiful, wonderful Serena?'

'It didn't happen like that. We talked first. We've actually been texting a lot lately and…'

'Right, you've been texting.'

Blair stood up from the couch and went to stand in front of him.

'So that's what you do, Humphrey. Sleep with a girl at night, and flirt and make out with her best friend at day.'

Dan didn't answer anything because he was trying not to read between the lines. But he couldn't help it: was Blair jealous?

She looked at him with disgust.

'Don't you think I've been hurt enough, Humphrey? I thought we were friends, I should've known better'

As she turned around to leave, Dan exploded. How dared she tell him that when all he had tried to do for the past week was helping her? He followed her and grabbed her arm to turn her around before she reached the front door. He looked her in the eyes because he wanted her to see how mad she made him. He wanted to show her that _she_ didn't have the monopole of unexplainable anger.

'I wouldn't know about how much you've been hurt, Blair. Because every time that I ask you to tell me what's going on, you shut me out. So I'm sorry, but if I'm not worth knowing about you problems; if to you I'm just a distraction to run away from them, then we've never been friends. This isn't friendship.'

He let go of her arm, but she didn't move. She kept looking at him.

'Humphrey, you yelled at me' she said.

Dan was unhinged by her remark. Was it really all she had to say? He saw her eyes starting to fill with water and took two steps backwards. Her tears were going to be the death of him.

'No Blair, do not start crying' he warned her, pointing his index at her. 'Do not make me look like the bad guy right now. You're the dick here.'

Blair let out a sob and Dan sighed deeply, cursing her, cursing himself. He walked up to her and took her in his arms.

'I'm not going to apologize' he said 'You deserved it.'

And he couldn't have been prepared for what happened next. Blair violently pushed him away and slapped him, so hard, that his head turned to the side.

When he turned it back to look at her he saw that she was shocked by her own gesture. Her eyes were wide opened and she was covering her open mouth with her left hand.

'WALDORF! WHAT THE HELL?'

'I'm so sorry Dan…I just…you just…'

'You've got a problem' Dan told her before going to his bathroom.

She followed him.

'I'm sorry' she said 'you reminded me what made me upset that other day'

Dan did not answer but examined his red cheek in the mirror. Blair put a gentle hand on his shoulder and he turned around to face her. She did not look at him but put her forehead on his chest.

'Please forgive me, Dan. I need you' she was almost whispering.

A thousand thoughts went through Dan's mind. Of course he was going to forgive her. He did not want to be the one who hurt her. He wanted to be the one she turned to when she was hurt. He wanted to be the one protecting her, always. He wondered when he had started to feel this way about Blair Waldorf. On Eric's birthday? On Valentine's day?

He leaned against the sink, pulling her with him, his nose buried in the hair on the top of her head.

'Blair…' he whispered.

She looked him in the eyes and he stopped breathing when he saw her glare travel to his lips. No. This couldn't be happening. When Blair's fist clenched on his shirt and she leaned up toward him, Dan naturally closed his eyes. When their lips touched, time stopped for him.

So that was what kissing Blair Waldorf felt like. Her lips tasted like cinnamon. Although he was not fond of that particular flavor, he could've sworn nothing had ever tasted better to him. Her hands traveled up his chest and went to wrap around his neck, pushing him closer. Dan groaned a little at the fact that she seemed to be enjoying this as much as he was.

Her lips parted shyly under his and Dan took the invitation and opened her mouth with his as his tongue went to meet hers. He slightly opened his eyes to look at her. Hers were still closed and he could see her eyebrows frowned. Then she started moving her tongue against his in such a torturously sensual way that he had to shut his eyes again.

It felt too good. His hands moved from her waist up to the side of her breasts. She put one of her legs between his and Dan's libido went into overdrive. Never breaking the contact between their lips, he spun her around and lifted her to settle her on the sink. He then went to stand between her legs and pushed her forward to be closer to her.

Heat was irradiating from their bodies, he couldn't seem to get enough of her lips. They had to break the kiss for air, but Dan took advantage of it to kiss her jaw, behind her ear, her neck.

'Dan…' she gasped.

He was starting to get addicted to her saying his name. He reached the zipper in the back of her dress and started to pull it down slowly, giving her time to react and stop him. But she didn't. Instead she started pulling his shirt up. Once the zipper was completely pulled down, he helped her undress him.

Tossing his shirt to the side, he looked at her. Her lips were red and her eyes gleamed with something he couldn't quite identify. She pushed her dress straps down her shoulders and Dan pushed the fabric down to her waist. He took in the soft color of her porcelain skin, the beautiful contrast it created with her orange lace bra.

Dan stroked her hair with a gentle touch while her hands roamed softly over his chest. Their breathing was heavy. Dan couldn't remember sharing a more intimate moment with anyone else in his life. Blair's hands settled on his shoulders and pulled him toward her. Their lips met again in a soft, slow kiss.

Dan felt her hands pushing down his sweatpants and stopped thinking. His whole brain went numb right then. He hadn't even realized how hard he was. His hands went under her dress and unclasped her garter belt to her stockings. He felt in his mouth her breathing become shorter and a gasp escaped her lips when he touched the fabric of her panties. He applied pressure on her center while his lips and tongue went back to explore her neck. And when he slid two fingers under her underwear and felt the wetness of her folds, he got even harder.

Blair moaned and brought her legs up to push down his boxers with her feet. Dan hands went on each side of her panties and pulled them down. He didn't waste much time after that. His right hand went around the back of her neck while the left one wrapped one of her legs around his waist to get greater access. He entered her in one slow motion and the two of them moaned at the sensation.

She felt ridiculously good around him. Dan pulled away and pushed inside again another moan escaped his lips. Blair's hips started to rock against his, one of her hand was holding his shoulder so tight, he was sure it would leave a mark. But it didn't matter. He would leave one on her too. He started to suck on her neck and made his thrusts faster, making her moans louder.

He knew he wouldn't last very long so he decided to accelerate the process of her liberation by taking his hand from the back of her neck and reaching between their bodies. His fingers pressed against her clit in circular motions.

'Oh God.' Blair said in a groan that seemed to come from deep inside her.

She moved her hips faster against him, pushing his entire length inside of her and driving Dan closer and closer. When he felt her walls clench around him, his mind went blank. Blair Waldorf was coming for him, in his bathroom. And he was about to come for her.

He could feel her heels dig in the back of his thighs as her entire body was trembling against his.

'Fuck, Blair' he gasped.

As her body started to calm down, his own stiffened and he let the blissful release take him over.

They didn't move for a minute, both trying to steady their breathing. Then the reality of the moment crashed into Dan's mind. He pulled away from her.

'Shit we didn't…'

'Don't worry Humphrey' Blair said, reading his mind 'I'm on the pill.'

'Oh' Dan said 'Okay'.

He bent down to pull up his boxers and sweatpants while Blair was putting her dress into place.

'Would you go make me a cup of tea while I freshen up?' she asked not looking at him.

'Sure' Dan answered.

Truth was he was torn between getting the hell out of there and taking her in each room of his loft. He left the bathroom for the kitchen and Blair came to join him a few minutes later.

'You were right, you know, the other day' she told him.

Dan didn't know what she was talking about. The only thing he understood was that they were not going to talk about the hot, steamy sex they had just had in the bathroom.

Blair sat on one of the high chairs behind the kitchen counter and took the mug Dan handed to her.

'It was about Chuck and Raina' she said looking down into her cup. 'It's actually always about Chuck. I don't even know why I still love him. I think the more time goes by, the more I realize that we might not be meant to be. But there's something deep inside me that tells me the contrary. Something that tells me that he is the man of my life. I just wished that something would tell him the same about me.'

Dan sighed deeply. He didn't like talking about Chuck. He didn't want to talk about Chuck. He wanted to go sit on the couch with her, eat mille-feuilles and finish _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_.

'Maybe there is something that tells him the same about you' Dan said reluctantly.

'Then why is he with her? Why isn't he coming back to me?' Blair asked desperation in her voice.

'Because you haven't told him what you think: that you two belong together and that you are ready to be with him now.'

Blair sat there, silent, still looking down. When she talked again, her voice was shaky:

'Raina is better than me'

'No one is better than you Blair' Dan answered instantly 'Not Raina, not Serena, no one. Don't think of yourself that way.'

Blair looked at him this time, and he could tell she was touched. Her eyes started to fill with water.

'But you were right. I deserved what happened to me.'

'What are you talking about, Blair?' Dan asked, genuinely confused.

Blair sighed and took a sip from her cup.

'I'll tell you if you promise one thing: do not get all Humphrey-judgmental once you hear that story.'

'What? I'm not judgmental.' Dan protested, but Blair gave him a look that screamed "yes you are". 'Alright. No judgments. I promise.'

Then Blair started to tell him a story. A story about Chuck and her being happy during her first year of college. A story about this happiness being disturbed by Chuck looking for his birth mother. A story about his uncle double crossing him. A story about Chuck actually double crossing her.

Dan couldn't believe what she was telling him. If it was true, he wanted to go all the way to The Empire and punch Chuck in the face. Actually beat the crap out of him. Dan also wanted to hit himself, because now he had the answer to the first fit of anger he had drove Blair into.

That night, they were talking about breakups in romantic comedies. Blair complained about none of her breakups happening smoothly, "especially not the last one" she had said. Dan had answered, to tease her, that perhaps "she deserved it".

He was disgusted in himself, because to him, Blair was the last person who deserved being treated this way.

'I'm sorry' he said.

He couldn't think of anything else to say. He thought that nothing would ever repay the pain he had caused her.

'Don't worry, Humphrey. You didn't know. Plus, as I told you, you might have been right.'

'I was wrong! More than I've ever been in my entire life.'

'I willingly went there, Dan. I should've never whored myself out.'

'Blair! Stop it!' Dan couldn't bear hearing her talking about herself that way. 'Whatever you did, you did it out of love. Chuck just didn't want to lose something he had been building for less than a year. Why do you even want to be with him?'

Blair shrugged.

'Like I told you last year. Who else could love me after what I've become?'

_I could. Maybe. I don't know_.

'Blair, I think you are way much more than what you think of yourself. You should try and realize how great you are.'

Their eyes locked and Blair's lips pulled into a light smile.

'Thank you, Humphrey.'

Dan smiled back at her. That time, he didn't wonder if he was allowed to or not. He accepted the fact that he found her beautiful.

He shook the thought out of his head and coughed a bit.

'You should invite him to lunch' he said.

'Lunch?'

'Yeah.' Dan shrugged. 'Not to be all Dr. Phil, but I think there's been a real lack of communication between you and Chuck. I think you should start by having lunch and talking things through with him.'

'You're suggesting me to ask the man of my life to lunch so we can talk.'

'Dinner is too intimate. So I think lunch would be a good start, yes. If you are a hundred percent positive that you want to be with him and no one else, I think that talking is where you should start with him. You know, honesty about your feelings and stuff.'

Blair thought for a moment.

'It might not be a bad idea Humphrey. I'll do it tomorrow. '

She descended from the chair and picked up her purse on the counter.

'Thank you Humphrey.'

'You're welcome'

He walked her to the door and right before leaving, she turned around with a sincere smile.

'And thank you also for earlier. In the bathroom. That was fun.'

Dan hated the fact that he blushed at her words. He let out a small chuckle and smile awkwardly.

'Yeah, um, you're more than welcome for that.'

'I'll see you around, Humphrey.'

And then she left. Dan closed the door behind her and stood there for a moment. He had gotten what he wanted. Blair was smiling again. She was happy again.

So why did he feel so empty?

/

The following day, Dan met Serena for coffee. He was honest with her. He told her that nothing could ever possible between them again. She was hurt. She was confused. She asked him what had changed his mind. But Dan couldn't tell her; because he wasn't sure he understood all the things that drove them apart. He wasn't sure he even wanted to understand.

They separated in front of the coffee house, whishing each other the best.

Then Dan started walking around the city with an all-consuming, paralyzing thought. What if he had given Blair the wrong advice? What would have happened if he had told her differently, that Chuck didn't deserve her, and that she should be with someone else? Someone like him.

His phone started ringing in his pocket and Dan was surprised seeing the name on the ID tag.

'Blair' he picked up 'What's going on?'

'I've been thinking about your advice. About inviting Chuck to talk.'

'Yeah?'

'Well you said that I should do that if I was sure that I wanted to be with him and no one else.'

'Yeah' Dan said, wondering where she was going.

'How would you feel about lunch today? You like Italian right?'

Dan was unable to talk for a minute.

'Humphrey? Still there?' Her voice was nervous.

'Yeah.'

'Meet me at 1146 on 6th street in fifteen'

She hung up without waiting for his answer and left Dan stunned. He started to walk slowly toward the destination and the more steps he took, the lighter they became. Soon, he was walking with an unexplainable smile on his face. He was experiencing something completely new: the feeling of walking toward something that, he hadn't realized before but somehow, was meant to be.

* * *

**_Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and I'll be back with another one-shot. See you!_**


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